The Village News
21 February 2025
Hedda Mittner
Dozens of business owners gathered at the Hermanus Brewing Company in Mimosa Street last Thursday afternoon for the launch of the Hermanus Business Chamber’s (HBC) new Industrial Area Cluster. The aim of this group is to focus on the particular needs of businesses in the area and to revitalise their part of town.
The founding meeting of the Industrial Area Cluster was opened by Jana Smith, chairperson of the HBC, who said the economy of Hermanus needs to be triaged. “The tourism, CBD and retail and other stable legs need to be shored in order for our economy to grow,” she said. “You have a voice here and we will be using one of the HBC’s official WhatsApp groups as the way forward. Together we can achieve more.” She described the event as a “momentous occasion”, a sentiment echoed by the other speakers.
Cllr Gustav Tambor, stakeholder engagement manager for the CBD Cluster, said the Industrial Area was once seen as a no-go zone for crime, but was now a very low crime rate.
“There has been a reduction in crime and there’s a belief that something is being done and that is what you want to achieve,” he said. “What you’re doing here today is the beginning of something great. You’ve got good momentum. And these are the two main considerations when people are deciding where they want to live, invest, or open a business: whether it’s safe and whether it’s clean.”
The key to their success, Tambor noted, is their tiered approach involving the Hermanus Community Police Forum, neighbourhood watch, security companies, private property owners, neighbourhood watch members on patrol with bodycams, and WhatsApp security groups, all working together to achieve a shared vision.
Grant Gillion (Law Enforcement) agreed, describing this time of renewed action as “the most exciting time of my career”. He said: “This is the best team I have ever worked with.”
HPP Executive Officer Marcia Brown confirmed that crime at the start of the CBD Revitalisation Project in 2020 had been four times as high and involved more serious offences such as muggings, armed robberies, or suspicious behaviour. “Now it’s people on the street drinking, sleeping in alleyways, and stealing items such as old air conditioner filters left on the pavement. When we stop these people carrying filters, we find out they are actually trying to sell them as scrap metal,” she said. “So visibility works.”
Trevor Edwards, who spearheaded the CBD Revitalisation Cluster together with Cllr Daniel van Vuren, thanked the HBC, law enforcement, SAPS and HPP and said the public/private cooperation couldn’t be underestimated. “It’s about trust and communication. Once people see action being taken, it spreads.”
He concluded by saying, “I’m inspired by business people coming together, joining the HBC, and working as one group with other clusters to achieve a more consistent positive image.”
“We have worked hard on improving the relationship with Overstrand Municipality and they are always happy to help. But as business owners we have to drive this and be brave enough to make time to special projects that help others to help themselves. The impact is deeply felt and appreciated.”